Economic Empowerment

Project Organization

The Kibagare BAWA Girls Initiative (KBGI) experience

Progress

AWDF is working with the Young Women's Campaign Against AIDS (YWCAA) to apply an evidence-based model referred to as CoMCreSS (Consultation, Mobilisation of Resources, Creation of Awareness and Sustainability). Locally referred to as the Kibagare BAWA Girls Initiative (KBGI), it targets young women and girls between 15-24 years and mainly children of bar waitresses and sex workers from Kibagare an urban slum in Nairobi Kenya. These young women have been exposed to social vices at very early ages and as their mothers become weak, tired and old (a large percentage of them living positively with HIV) the burden of fending for the family shifts to them. With no means of livelihood, they are rendered vulnerable to peer pressure and risky behaviors.

The project, therefore, gives them an alternative to following in the trade of their mothers. They are provided with skills development in their particular area of interest and also are supported with mentorship and nurturing by the YWCAA.

Risks and challenges

The project is based in an area where drug and substance abuse is rampant. This fuels the high rate of GBV and HIV infections; and indulgence in other risky behaviours, creating a high probability of beneficiaries discontinuing the training programmes due to addiction. YWCAA continues to address this with weekly community meetings to sustain interest.

Funding is also a challenge. Once the girls have completed the training's, they need to be set up in business or risk falling back into a risky lifestyle. Unfortunately, though grants received do not have a component for business support.

Because the project is set up in the slum, staff continually have to contend with the possibility of attack from errant youth.

Up Close

The project has just started. AWDF normally follows up grantmaking with site visits to provide technical support to beneficiaries and collect stories of change and impact. Such stories and quotes are normally shared on our website and with donors. We will provide stories in follow up reporting

Next steps

AWDF will undertake a monitoring visit to the YWCAA to assess the progress of the project and provide any required technical backstopping needed. We will also closely monitor the use of funds to ensure they are used for the purpose for which they were awarded.

Budget

Line Items

Projected budget

Amount spent so far

Grantmaking

Grant Administration

Total

$3,500

$109.80

$3.609.80

$0

$0

$0

More Information

The primary outcome of this project is expected to be reduced cases of gender-based violence, improved family economic well-being, and empowered young women serving as role models in their communities.

The Issue: Systemic gender discrimination, the impact of conflict and inequalities are severely impairing the dignity, status and economic opportunities of women and girls in Africa.

Why it matters: Engaging women in the struggle to combat poverty and fuel economic growth in Africa is crucial, yet they are being denied education, employment in areas of national economies and meaningful asset ownership.

How we create change: AWDF supports organisations seeking to develop strategies to promote African women’s economic and food security. The projects we back support skills development and positive legislation and policy for African women. We mobilize resources to help women maintain their livelihoods through agriculture, businesses while tackling issues like climate change.

In Africa, 70-80% of agricultural production is carried out by women, yet land ownership continues to be male dominated. Despite their presence in market settings and in small retail and agricultural enterprises, women’s work continues to be described as ‘informal’. The negative effects of climate change also impacts those with vulnerable livelihoods. Despite Africa’s economic growth over the past decade, there is increased inequality in income, access to assets and resources, and public services such as education and health care between men and women.

African Women's Development Fund: AWDF mobilizes financial, human and material resources in order to expand African women’s choices, amplify their voices and increase their economic opportunities, security and access to spaces of decision-making.